Hosted by the College of Arts + Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, the IU College Insider podcast shares stories of learning, discovery, and innovation in higher education. Through engaging conversations with faculty, students, and outside experts, episodes explore how research, teaching, and hands-on learning are making a real-world impact in communities and beyond.
The Study of Everything Humans Do: IU Folklore at 100
IU’s annual Ghost Walk offers a glimpse into folklore in action, but folklore reaches far beyond ghost stories. In this episode of the IU College Insider Podcast, our experts talk about what folklore is, why it matters, and how IU’s world-leading folklore and ethnomusicology program has shaped our understanding of human culture over the past century.Featuring: 🎧 Vivian Halloran, Associate Dean for Arts + Humanities in the College🎧 Pravina Shukla, Provost Professor + Chair, Folklore and Ethnomusicology🎧 Robert Dobler, Senior Lecturer, Folklore and EthnomusicologyFor more information on the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, visit folklore.indiana.edu
30 Sept 2026
Can We Talk? Civil Discourse on College Campuses and Beyond
On this episode of the IU College Insider Podcast, Associate Dean for Arts + Humanities Vivian Halloran sits down with two leaders of the College’s Political and Civic Engagement Program, or PACE, which helps IU students develop the knowledge and skills to participate in political and civic life. Together, the group discusses discourse in American political life: what constructive dialogue looks like today, why it can be difficult, and how universities can prepare students for political and civic engagement.
Featuring:
🎧 Vivian Halloran, Associate Dean for Arts + Humanities in the College
🎧 Lisa-Marie Napoli, Director of the Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) Program
🎧 Mark Fraley, Associate Director of the Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) Program
31 Aug 2026
What’s the Matter? IU Physicists’ Hunt for the Universe’s Building Blocks at CERN
On this episode of the IU College Insider Podcast, host Prof. Mark Messier talks with IU physicists Hal Evans and Sabine Lammers about their work at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, where IU researchers are helping install major upgrades to the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. They explore what particle physicists are looking for, what the LHC can teach us about the universe, and why this fundamental research has so many impacts beyond the laboratory.
Featuring:
🎧 Caroline Chick Jarrold, Interim Executive Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
🎧 Mark Messier, Associate Dean for Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of Physics, and Chair of the Physics Department
🎧 Hal Evans, Professor of Physics
🎧 Sabine Lammers, Professor of Physics
29 Jun 2026
American Religious Belief in Extraterrestrial Life
In our newest episode of the IU College Insider Podcast, we talk with Ruth N. Halls Professor of English Paul Gutjahr. His forthcoming book, Faith in Space: American Religious Belief in Extraterrestrial Life (out September 2026), traces more than three centuries of American religious traditions that have built elaborate cosmologies around the conviction that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
Featuring:
🎧 Vivian Halloran, Professor of English, Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities in IU’s College of Arts + Sciences
🎧 Paul Gutjahr, Ruth N. Halls Professor of English
27 May 2026
What Schools Can Do for Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Youth suicide is a growing public health concern, and researchers, educators, and community organizations are working to better support young people before they reach a crisis point.
In this episode of the IU College Insider podcast, an interdisciplinary group of experts—a sociologist, a developmental psychologist, and a national foundation leader—discuss what research tells us about youth suicide prevention, the role schools can play in fostering connection and belonging, and what communities can do to support student well-being.
Featuring:
Anna Mueller, Luther Dana Waterman Professor of Sociology and Senior Research Program Leader, Irsay Institute
Tiffany Benjamin, B.A. ’02, CEO of the Humana Foundation
Natasha Chaku, Assistant Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, or is having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and speak with a trained crisis specialist, 24/7.
Here at IU Bloomington, the crisis hotline is available to students 24/7 by calling:
812-855-5711
29 Apr 2026
Decoding College Admissions—What Students and Families Need to Know
What do students and families really need to know about the college admissions process in today’s competitive landscape? From choosing the right school for you, to understanding academic pathways, ROI, affordability, and career outcomes, hear from IU admissions and recruiting experts as they share practical advice to help you make confident, informed decisions about your college journey.Featuring:Rich Hardy, Professor of Biology, Associate Dean for Undergraduate EducationSacha Thieme, Associate Vice Chancellor + Executive Director of AdmissionsJakob Breunig, Director of Recruiting in the College
27 Mar 2026
AI Goes to College: Higher Ed at the Forefront of Transformative Tech
This episode explores how AI is changing higher education, and transforming how people, businesses, and organizations work.
Featuring:
Vivian Halloran, Professor of English, Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities in IU’s College of Arts + Sciences
Justin Hodgson, Associate Professor of English in the College
Karna Desai, Ph.D. ’17, Generative AI Strategist, Booz Allen Hamilton
25 Feb 2026
What Is Quantum Computing, and How Will It Change Everything?
This episode explores, what is quantum computing, how does it work, and how will it change everything?
Featuring:
Caroline Jarrold, Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean for Natural and Mathematical Sciences and Research in IU’s College of Arts + Sciences
Srinivasan Iyengar, Professor of Chemistry in the College
James Clarke, B.S. '94, Director of Quantum Hardware, Intel Corporation
27 Jan 2026
Why Go to College? Why Now?
Introducing the IU College Insider podcast from the College of Arts + Sciences at IU Bloomington, in collaboration with Indiana Public Media.
Hosted by Executive Dean Rick Van Kooten, Ep. 1 explores the question: Why Go to College? Why Now?
Featuring:
Tanner Terrell from the College’s Walter Center for Career Achievement
Ashley Gilmer ’26, an IU senior studying Organizational + Business Psychology
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